The House’s top transportation lawmakers are close to clinching a deal on a reauthorization of highway, transit and infrastructure programs.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expects to release text as early as Friday, ahead of a markup next week.
The markup is a big step for T&I, which has struggled to settle on a renewal of surface transportation programs. It’s still unclear if lawmakers can wrap up the reauthorization this year, as the Senate process drags on and President Donald Trump floats a gas tax holiday.
“We’re close on much of it, and got some distance to close up on a few things,” Rep. Rick Larsen (Wash.), the panel’s top Democrat, said Thursday. T&I Democrats met Thursday evening to discuss the bill.
State of play. Advancing a bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization would be a big win for retiring T&I Committee Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.). It also may push the Senate to act.
One problem: the price tag. Hardline conservatives are resistant to the cost of the package, which is likely between $550 billion and $600 billion.
“A whole lot of damage was done with the last highway bill,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said. “So, let’s start with whether the kill switches are killed and the math adds up.”
Graves is likely to include an EV registration fee that would pay into the Highway Trust Fund. Graves unsuccessfully tried to enact a $250 fee for EVs and a $100 fee for hybrids in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Democrats and some Republicans also want stronger rail safety provisions included, though that effort has drawn some outside pushback.
The tax factor. Before a floor vote, the House Ways and Means Committee plans to hold a markup to approve any tax-related items for the package. That would include an extension of the gas tax.
The politics of extending the gas tax could become tricky with the average price of gasoline at $4.53 per gallon. Trying to work a suspension of the levy into the mix could also become difficult — and pricey.
At this point, it’s unlikely Ways and Means will take action on this until June at the very earliest.
